December 2020 Newsletter
Hello SRA members. I hope this holiday finds you all happy, healthy, and eager to jump into the new year with the exciting projects and prospects we have on the horizon. I’d like to start by introducing our members of the board, as per our election results from November.
- Dan Jackson, President
- Katie Lewis, Vice President and Media Coordinator
- Richard Taplin, Prior St. Working Group
- Trefor Smith, Environmental Lead and Air Quality Working Group
- Ghazal Arefi, Building Bridges Project
- Andrea Kastanis, Political Strategies
- Maureen Teahan. Strathcona Park Working Group and newsletter editor
CALENDAR of EVENTS
If you have an event or announcement you would like to be considered for the newsletter, please submit it to Maureen (snowymo@gmail.com) NO LATER THAN January 6th, 2021.
FREE FLU SHOT
Wednesday, December 16th, 2:00 PM to 6:00 PM. Strathcona Community Policing Centre, 872 East Hastings Street
All are welcome to attend this free flu shot clinic. You must make an appointment by contacting the SCPC via email at info@strathconacpc.ca or by phoning (604) 717-0622. Children are welcome to attend and be vaccinated. Feeling unwell? Stay home and follow your healthcare provider’s advice. MASKS ARE REQUIRED
LEGO HOLIDAYS
Ring in the season with LEGO!!Presented by the Strathcona Community Centre 601 Keefer Street. Wednesday, December 23rd, 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Children will be seeing more than sugar plums as they build sleighs, elves & other festive models. All participants go home with a customized *Minifigure. Registration is $30 Please call (604) 713-1838 to ensure your spots.
BUY LOCAL
Many local businesses have been struggling in this challenging year. Scout magazine recently published an online catalogue of local businesses which we think is worth sharing.
WORKING GROUP UPDATES
Camp KT
We remain immensely frustrated that there has yet to be any significant housing or even shelter options offered to people camping in Strathcona Park and that camp leadership continues to refuse to work with city staff. The City and the Feds allocated over $80M for emergency housing two months ago, but have yet to announce a plan. The Province still hasn’t put anyone in charge. It’s a disgrace. For some perspective, here’s a link to recent article in the Globe and Mail.
Re-Imagining Strathcona Park
What will happen to Strathcona Park if and when housing is provided for the homeless and it is restored to a local park? We kicked off a conversation at our November meeting about ways to re-imagine Strathcona Park as a more inviting place to exercise, socialize and connect for all residents: a senior’s walk, outdoor exercise equipment, an off-leash area, pickle ball… lots of great ideas. The next step with be to create and circulate an engagement process so that as many residents as possible can share their opinions. Our intention is to circulate an initial survey early next year. We hope to present a harmonized vision to the Parks Board in 2021/22. If you’d like to get more involved (even just to hand out surveys), please contact Maureen (snowymo@gmail.com).
Building Bridges
With the help of Ksenia Stepkina from the United Way, we recently organized Zoom meetings with representatives from Chinese and social housing residents of Strathcona. Our goal is to grow into an organization that genuinely reflects the views of all residents. We invite Strathcona residents to help us build bridges to these and other groups in our neighbourhood. If you’re intrigued, e-mail Ghazal.
Burrard Inlet Line Connectivity Study
The SRA was recently awarded a grant from CN Rail’s BC Community Board to undertake a connectivity study to better understand how residents are currently crossing the Burrard Inlet rail corridor. The study will look at the “current conditions” of community connectivity, how this may be influenced by additional grade-separation within the next few years, and what options can be considered for enhancing community connectivity in the future.
The study will also consider whether additional forms of connectivity infrastructure for pedestrians and bikes at locations where grade-separation is anticipated (Parker, Union, Raymur and Cordova) could support greater safety by:
- allowing for a full closure of these areas while minimizing impacts on, or enhancing residential connectivity, and
- helping to create viable, community-friendly alternatives to unauthorized “de facto” at-grade pedestrian crossings created along certain sections of the BI Line.
Comments? Questions? Contact us at sra@strathcona-residents.org.